The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-10

speed and hardness, or the ability to turn
quickly. together. Her speed is guaranteed to
be twenty knots, but much moro Is expected
Her length is $50 feet. her width Is 26 feet. and
she will draw eight feet Of water Her displace-
ment is about 800 tons. She is very sharp, and
has very fine lines both forward and aft The
deck plan shows three guns side by side. point
ing forward. They are fired in their places, but
their range can be varied by increasing or dimn-
ishing the charge OF air let in behind the pro-
jectle. An extreme range of one mile is put
down in the contract and the weight OF gelatine
to be thrown is two hundred pounds but the
guns AS now building will throw four hundred
pounds instead of two hundred, and the effective
range will probably be about two miles. Air
chambers and compressors OF sufficient
size and power are provided to- enable fifteen
shots to be fired to the distance of one mile, but
ii The boat were heading for dhe enemy at full
sp ed, thirty shells could be thrown before the
air would be exhausted and the cruiser obliged
to turn tail. Thirty shells would mean the ex-
ploson of IL 600 pounds Of nitro gelatine about
the enemy. quite enough, if the aim were &C
curate. to justify, in his mind, the title given to
the boat by the London Times, 1.-The most IN
fernal triumph of American ingenuity" In nx-
ing the gun permanently in its place, the de-
sicner has followed out the old idea of making
che ship simply floating eun-carriage. The
new French cruiser Polyphemus is built on the
same idea, and there are other foatiue-gnn car
riages In this cruiser the firing is entirely un-
der control OF the officer in the pilot-house. He
has simply to head his boat for the enemy, dash
ahead at full speed, and blaze away. The
trained pilot, even in the excitement of battle,
would steer his ship instinctively,
there would be little trouble with thu
aim, except perhaps, in getting the
-ange. Each gun can be fired once in two min
utes, or three successfully in two minutes She
can carry 100, or even much greater number,
of torpeeoes with her when going on a cruise.
To show how she compares with the best of the
latest English built torpedo boats it may be said
that the Destroyer, built for the Spanish govern
ment, carries but ten torpedoes although she
has five tubes to fire them from, and this is the
usual number carried. The range of the best
foreign torpedoes is GOO yards. under the most
favorable circumstances, and in seaway not
more than 100 or 200 yards. The exploding
charge is seventy-fve pounds of gun-cotton. an
explosive that is exceedingly inefficient when
compared with nitro eelatne.
The new cruiser will be armed with the usual
sapid- firing guns which placed foreign
torpedo boats. These are to be used in battle
VIII craft like herself and small boats. Men are
now at work on her at Cramps yard, and she
can be built in six months.
Lieutenant Zahnski has also drawn the plans
OF a protected cruiser, with a curved steel deck
from five to ten inches thick, that would neces-
sariy be struck at angle By the projectie of
an enemy. Compartments without number
would save the ship even if struck by the
binary torpedo with UNDERGROUND charge of
eun-cotton The armament of this cruiser will
be battery of guns throwing shells holding
half tonSeach of the high power explosive.